The holidays are upon us, and that means it's time to start planning (and saving) for all the gifts and stocking stuffers you'll be purchasing over the next few weeks. I'm willing to bet there's at least one Harry Potter super-fan on your shopping list, and chances are, they already have enough Harry Potter mugs, Harry Potter candles, Harry Potter collectable books, and Harry Potter home accessories to fill a storage unit. So if you're looking to gift them something they don't already have, try your hand at this DIY Golden Snitch Necklace. The entire step-by-step process is featured below, and it's so easy, you can have it totally complete before you've finished marathoning the first Harry Potter movie!
Find out how to DIY a Golden Snitch Necklace below, and get the details on 29 other Harry Potter crafts in The Unofficial Guide to Crafting the World of Harry Potter by Jamie Harrington, available wherever books are sold.
The Golden Snitch is the most important part of any Quidditch match, which makes the Golden Snitch Necklace one of my favorite pieces of jewelry to create. It's important to follow the directions exactly, or you might end up with one of your wings upside down or flipped around backwards!
1. Use your wire cutters to cut your small gold chain into 2 even pieces of 9." each.
2. Next use your jewelry pliers to open a jump ring. Do this by grasping the jump ring with the pliers, making sure the split in the ring faces up, and holding the other side of the ring with your fingers. Now slowly and gently twist the pliers toward you and twist your other hand away from you.
3. Thread the open jump ring through the last link of one of the jewelry chains.
4. Now thread the small loop on the end of the jewelry clasp through this same jump ring. Use your jewelry pliers to squeeze the jump ring closed by holding one side of the ring with the pliers and the other with your fingers. Twist the sides toward each other to bring them together and close the ring.
5. Use your jewelry pliers to open your second jump ring. Thread the last link of the other jewelry chain (the one without the clasp) through the jump ring and then use your pliers to close the ring. Your clasp will attach to this ring to connect the finished necklace ends.
6. Run the gold eyepin through the gold bead.
7. Cut off the excess wire using your wire cutters.
8. Use your pliers to bend the recently cut end of the eyepin into a small loop.
9. Arrange your necklace pieces as shown in the photo. This is how the necklace will fit together.
10. Open a third jump ring and thread it through the tip of one of your gold wing charms. Then thread the last link of one of the chains through the jump ring. Close the jump ring. Repeat this using your fourth jump ring, the other gold wing charm, and the other half of the necklace.
11. Open the jump ring that came attached to the gold wing charm.
Thread the ring through one of the loops on the gold bead. Close the ring. Repeat this using the other gold wing charm and the other loop on the gold bead.
12. Now you have the cutest little snitch necklace ever! Wear it and enjoy.
You can decide how long you want your necklace to be. Just cut your chain to whatever size you want!
Excerpted from The Unofficial Guide to Crafting the World of Harry Potter by Jamie Harrington. Copyright © 2016 F+W Media, Inc. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Photos courtesy of iStockphoto.com and F+W Media, Inc.